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The official blog for the U.S. Medicare program. For more information, please visit www.medicare.gov

Is your vision cloudy?

Do you or a loved one have cataracts? A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens that affects vision. According to the National Eye Institute, by age 80, more than half of all Americans will either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.

Medicare can help. Medicare Part B covers cataract surgery, and after surgery Medicare helps pay for cataract glasses, contact lenses, or intraocular lenses you get from an ophthalmologist.

Cataracts often come with age—they affect the vision of about half of all people between 65 and 74. Your risk for cataracts also may increase through long term exposure to sunlight, if you have diabetes, or if you smoke. New eyeglasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses, or magnifying lenses may help your symptoms. If not, you may need surgery to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial lens.

June is Cataract Awareness Month. Visit the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health to learn more about cataracts.